20 December 2010

This weekend I got to grips with Christmas! You wouldn't think so to look at the photo above, would you? This is my entrance hallway looking out to the front garden - lovely, luscious, tropical greenery! Delightful, it is indeed, but it can be a tad difficult to feel the festive spirit in the heat and humidity of Malaysia! However, I'm just back from Singapore where the streets are brightly lit with decorations and the Christmas rush is in full swing (sorry no pics - forgot my camera!) and I felt inspired to make an a start on Christmas, chez nous! First stop on Saturday, was Ikea, for a real tree :) Not to be, unfortunately. I was so disappointed to find that the only good trees to be had were about 20 feet tall, whilst smaller ones had clearly seen better days in Sweden. I came away with just three Pointsettia plants instead!

Not to worry, I had another idea for the Christmas tree! We hauled a potted fir tree in from the terrace and I set to work! My decorating style is traditional - no colour coordinated, contemporary purple or blue trees for me! Though I do admire chic designer trees I have collected so many individual decorations over the years that my tree has to be an ecelctic mix of glass stars and snowflakes, silver bells and red baubles and lots of handmade pieces - I love to unwrap all the quirky decorations every year - each has its own story to tell!

I bought this little fellow in Sweden 30 years ago!

One year I made little teddies from Fimo clay.

One of a pair of golden metal birds, also from Sweden.

I set a clove scented candle in this glass holder and surrounded it with a twig wreath decorated with berries, pine cones, silk hellebores and aromatic cinnamon sticks,

and used some really flamboyant red flowers and berries for this piece.

I found this little silver reindeer this year and thought he looked perfect with a tray of gilded apples and pears.

Last, but definitely not least, this is one of my most precious ornaments! I remember my father taking me shopping for this sweet little blue angel when I was about 5 or 6 years old!

With the decorations done I headed to the kitchen to do some baking! Christmas just isn't Christmas without some sweet mince pies!

Ready for the oven, marked with a little Xmas tree design.

Golden brown and almost ready to eat..

just a final dusting of icing sugar ... delicious!

Bob gets a carefully supervised visit to tree!

I've also been making little books as gifts - this one is 'A little book of Malaysian Birds'

I printed some of my bird illustrations onto watercolour paper and made a little accordion book.

17 December 2010

I signed up for the Sketchbook Project months ago and realised this week that I need to get going with it as the deadline for handing it in is January! So, without further ado here are my first few pages.

The front cover - my theme is 'In Flight'

Front and back covers

First double spread. I glued a map over the thin pages and drew this bird on top.

The pages are so thin that paint and glue will cockle the paper . Almost everthing but light pencil shows through on the other side, so this is going to be a challenge! On the left, I've collaged items to sturdier paper and glued to the other side of the map page. I then drew with coloured pencils. On the right I tried a carved rubber stamp - it shows through on the other side a little, but not too badly.

Feathers in pencil.

And here's who was watching me whilst I was drawing - a grumpy ol' black and white cat sitting on a black and white mat!

11 December 2010

I'm quickly typing this post before heading down to Singapore for a few days! Just wanted to let you know that my good friend kj of Options for a Better World blog is again raising funds for 'Wishes and Dreams for the Holidays' a fund she has set up for some needy youngsters she works with in the US. You can read more about this year's project on kj's blog.

Kj will soon be hosting an auction to raise funds on her blog . Let's raise some money!!! Please head on over to her ranch for details! I have donated a print of one of my watercolours and a necklace. Do you have something you can contribute? Let Kj know!!

My print has been made from one of my original watercolour paintings - 'Cherries'. It has been printed on high quality Somerset enhanced 100% cotton paper with archival inks. Size approx 21 x15 cms. (Not mounted or framed). There will be no watermark on the print!

It measures 18" / 46cms in length and is fastened with a sterling silver clasp. It would make a lovely gift for someone special or why not treat yourself and help someone in need at the same time?

SOLD.

Please hop over to kj's for more information about the auction. Any contribution is most welcome, auction items, bids or even a small donation - a link for this can be found on the side bar of kj's blog. Thank you - every little helps!

10 December 2010

You may remember I posted this work in progress of mangosteens a few weeks ago and promised to share the result when it was ready. I have lots of unfinished pieces like this in the cupboards in my studio - I wonder just how many of you can relate to that?! I start off all enthused by a subject and then go off on a tangent when another idea pops into my head! So, a couple of weeks ago I decided to take a few days to finish several 'half baked' projects and little watercolour on mountboard got another airing! I wasn't sure how to set about the background and tried various options (fortunately easily removed from the primed surface) before deciding on a dark green which I toned down later with a dusting of very dry white gouache. I quite like the effect of this white paint which catches the raised folds of the textured tissue paper surface. You can get a better idea of this if you enlarge the photo.

Another project is a painting of these tulips using the same technique. I'll try to remember to take photos of the work in progress to share later. May be a while though, as I'm part way through making a little handmade book featuring some of the birds to be found here in Malaysia...

In fact I have several ideas for little books. Oh, and then there's my website..... must get on with that too! And the Sketchbook Project...... only done a few pages for that so far - need to get my skates on! And Christmas is coming.... so I've given my blog a wintery look this morning. With temperatures in the 30's here in KL its helping me get in a festive mood!

8 December 2010

This week the Illustration Friday word is Prehistoric. Here is a trio of friendly dinos I painted in watercolour. You can find similar little characters in my Etsy shop where they are featured in my children's name pictures. I'm just starting to restock the shelves of the shop after a long absence!